Arm-supported slingshot



March 23, 1954 H. GAUTHIER ARM-SUPPORTED SLINGSHOT Filed Dec. 22, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

frifM YLL I lllllll Ill-ll 2 UFLHHHHHHH P Patented Mar. 23, 1954 ARM-SUPPORTED snmasno'r 7 Albert H. Gauthier, Auburn,.Maine, .assignor of one-half to'Henry G. Lumbard, Auburn, Maine 1 Application December 22, 1952, Serial No.'327,381

This invention comprises a new and improved sling shot having an'arm rest whereby itrmay be effectively used for throwing hand grenades orany other missiles and in such a manner as to increase the range of the weapon and tosteady it while under tension.

ij Sling shots as heretofore constructed have had i the disadvantage that the great force imparted J by the user to the tensioned bands must be re- ,fsisted entirely by one hand and wrist alone. "Consequently the pull of the sling has been limited, its range restricted and the weight of missiles discharged kept low. In the second place, since the hand and wrist holding the sling are under severe stress, it has been diilicult to hold the aim accurately on a target. These objections are obviated and other advantages derived from the novel construction of this invention. Going more into detail it is now proposed to attach to the lower end of the handle of the sling shot a pair of longitudinal members diverging rearwardly and connected by an arcuate bridge in position to rest upon the forearm near the elbow of the user. Such a rest not only steadies the sling shot but transmits the pull of the bands to the arm of the user and so relieves his hand and wrist of excessive stress.

As an optional feature it is proposed to provide a pivotal connection between the sling shot proper and the arm rest so that these elements may be folded into compact relation for convenient storage and transportation.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof in which- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing in solid lines the sling in operative position and in dot and dash lines the sling in collapsed position,

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing a connection between the sling and the arm rest.

The sling herein shown comprises a rod of spring steel formed to comprise forks In which terminate in eyes to receive the elastic bands I I of the sling. The bands are joined by a section I2 which serve both as a receptacle for the missile and as a grip for the user. The forks II] are brought together in a handle of parallel rods surrounded by a sleeve I3 which provides a secure and comfortable grip.

At the base of the handle the rods are bent forwardly sections I4 and fashioned into a 4jCla'ims. 21. 124-20) V 2 rectangular base disposed at right angles tothe handle ofthe sling. This base is secured by welding or otherwise to a rectangular stop plate l5 as well shown in vFigs. 3 and 4.

I The arm rest which will now be described attached at its forward end to the front edge of the frame I4 and the stop plate by upstanding eyes I1. These eyes are formed in a pair of spring steel rods I6 which converge forwardly to their point of pivotal connection with the frame I4 and diverge rearwardly for substantially the length of the user's forearm. They are spaced apart sufliciently to receive the forearm between them and connected at their rear ends by an upwardly convex arcuate bridge It provided with a semi-circular sleeve [9 designed to fit the upper portion of the forearm. The bridge is of such height that the rods I'B of the rest are suspended by it slightly below the forearm as shown in Fig. 1, thus affording the user free wrist action.

When in operative position the stop plate I5 rests upon the forward ends of the steel rods I 6 of the arm rest as shown in Fig. 1 supporting the sling shot proper at right angles to the arm rest. The user passes his left forearm through the bridge I8 and up between the rods I6, grasping the sleeve I3 of the handle in his left hand. He is now free to grasp the section I2 containing the missile with his right hand and to tension the bands II. In this operation it will be seen that the tensioning force applied to the bands II is transmitted to the users forearm and resisted by downward pressure thereon of the bridge I8. At the same time the sling is steadied, being positively prevented from twisting in the users hand and supported by the rest.

When it is desired to collapse the weapon the sling with its frame I 4 and stop plate I 5 are merely swung forwardly and then rearwardly into the dot and dash portion shown in Fig. 1 wherein the body of the arm rest and the sling proper are disposed in adjacent parallel relation.

While for purposes of illustration the arm rest is shown as extending substantially at right angles to the forks ID of the sling it is contemplated that the longitudinal axis of the arm rest may be swung somewhat to one side or the other of the perpendicular according to whether the user is right or left handed. Such adjustment may serve to improve the position of the forks for a straight line pull upon the elastic bands I I.

It is also contemplated that when the weapon is used for throwing hand grenades the looking pinmay be pulled by temporary connection with the section or receptacle I2 from which the for the attachment of elastic bands, and an arm" rest extending at right angleslz -to-"theihandler from its lower end, the. arm rest consisting of a pair of longitudinal members diverging'rear--- dle approximating the length of the users forearm and being of such height as to suspend the steel rods of the arm rest below the forearm.

3. An arm-supported slingshot as described in claim 2 in which the rods of the arm rest are pivotally connected to the lower end of the handle so that the fork with its handle may be folded into. compact relationmbeneath themarm rest.

4. arm-supported slingshot comprising a fork having a depending handle with a stop face secured to the lower end of the fork, an elon- ""gated arm rest coextensive with the forearm of thejauser ffand a hinge connecting the fork and V 151 wardly from the handle" andspacewapart 'to" armirestwhereby, the handle may be folded beneath: the. arm-rest or swung into an upright position in"which" said stop face contacts the receive the forearm betweenthem; andian arcue ate bridge connecting the longitudinal members in position to rest upon the forearmrie'antlie elbow of the user and to suspend the longitudinal' members below the"forearm.

' 2. An arm-supported slingshot comprising a fork having a depending handle and an arm rest attached to' the lower'-end "of the-handle and consisting of a pair of spring st'eelrodsclose- 13; adjacent to each other at the handle and diverging from each other as they extend away from the handle a-nd' spaced apar t' to receive the forearm between them; and' an" upwardly" extending convex" bridge connectingthe-- divergent:- ends of said'rod's' at a distance from the hanouter p'orti'om of" the arm rest and holds the fork and handle at substantially right angles to the'arm rest.

1 ALBERT H. GAUTHIER.

References Cited 'irrxthe files of. this: patent UNrrED sTATEs=PATENTs 

